The 2000 Oita Trinita season was the club's second campaign in the J.League Division 2 (J2 League), the second tier of Japanese professional football. The club is based in Ōita City, Ōita Prefecture, Japan. The season was managed by Nobuhiro Ishizaki, and home matches were played primarily at the Oita Athletic Stadium.
Season Summary
Oita Trinita finished 3rd out of 11 clubs in the J.League 2 standings. In the Emperor's Cup, the team reached the 3rd Round, and in the J.League Cup, they were eliminated in the 1st Round. The top goalscorer for the season was Brazilian forward Will, who scored 22 goals in the league.
Competitions
| Competition | Position / Result |
|---|---|
| J.League 2 | 3rd (11 clubs) |
| Emperor's Cup | 3rd Round |
| J.League Cup | 1st Round |
Domestic Results
J.League 2
Oita Trinita played 40 league matches (with 2 bye rounds in a 22-matchday schedule against 11 teams). The season ran from March to November 2000. Notable results included:
- 12 March 2000 (Match 1): Oita Trinita 3–1 Montedio Yamagata
- 2 April 2000 (Match 5): Oita Trinita 2–0 Sagan Tosu
- 29 April 2000 (Match 9): Oita Trinita 4–1 Vegalta Sendai
- 12 August 2000 (Match 28): Oita Trinita 5–0 Vegalta Sendai
- 15 September 2000 (Match 33): Oita Trinita 5–0 Shonan Bellmare
- 19 November 2000 (Match 44): Oita Trinita 1–0 Omiya Ardija
Emperor's Cup
- 1st Round (25 November 2000): Hatsushiba Hashimoto High School 0–5 Oita Trinita
- 2nd Round (3 December 2000): Oita Trinita 7–0 Ueda Gentian
- 3rd Round (10 December 2000): Gamba Osaka 4–1 Oita Trinita
J.League Cup
- 1st Round, Leg 1 (12 April 2000): Oita Trinita 2–2 JEF United Ichihara
- 1st Round, Leg 2 (19 April 2000): JEF United Ichihara 3–1 Oita Trinita (JEF United won 5–3 on aggregate)
Player Statistics
Key players for the season included:
- Kazuya Maekawa (GK): 37 league appearances
- Sidiclei (DF): 35 league appearances, 5 goals
- Motoki Kawasaki (MF): 38 league appearances, 5 goals
- Will (FW): 29 league appearances, 22 goals (top scorer)
- Andradina (FW): 17 league appearances, 9 goals
- Yoshiya Takemura (MF): 39 league appearances, 5 goals
- Akira Kaji (DF): 34 league appearances, 3 goals
- Toshihiro Yoshimura (DF): 37 league appearances
The squad featured a mix of experienced Japanese players, Brazilian imports (Will, Sidiclei, Valdney, Luciano, Andradina), and younger talents including future Japan international Akira Kaji, who was 20 years old at the time.
